ATVs and UTVs are off-road vehicles that typically travel on low-pressure tires and are designed for recreational off-road use. Smooth trails are not the norm, and many ATVs and UTVs are driven over creek beds, rutted trails, or other rough terrain where rocks, fallen trees, deep mud, etc. are frequently encountered. It is therefore common for the underside of the vehicle to scrape or otherwise come in contact with the ground or other obstacles that the driver is seeking to traverse.
A skid plate is provided on ATVs and UTVs to protect the underside of the vehicle. However, skid plates are frequently made in multiple sections, and the edges between adjacent sections are prone to catch on rocks, logs, etc., when driving over rough terrain. This may cause one or both of the skid plate sections to bend away from the vehicle. Once a plate section has been bent, it is even more susceptible to catching on foreign objects, and is therefore increasingly likely to bend further. Once that pattern begins it is not long until the skid plate is pulled from the vehicle or is otherwise not useful for the purpose for which it is intended.
A need therefore exists for an improved multi-plate ATV/UTV skid plate assembly that protects the underside of a vehicle and is resistant to bending and/or separation along plate edges and seams. The present invention addresses that need.